Goa, Aug. 12 -- Ethanol blending in diesel has hit a technical roadblock after government-backed tests found that the fuel failed the required flash-point specification. Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi informed Parliament that the flash point of diesel fell sharply when ethanol was added, raising safety concerns over its wider use.

Public-sector oil marketing companies conducted scientific evaluations through their research and development centres in collaboration with accredited laboratories and automobile manufacturers. The findings mean ethanol-diesel blends cannot be considered for wider adoption unless the flash-point issue is resolved.

India's ethanol blending programme has so far focused primarily on p...